Morally obliged to volunteer if retired?

[notnownorma]

Just that, really. If one has no grandchildren to care for, is one morally obliged to give something back to the community if no longer working and in good health? If so, how much time is "enough"?

Inspired by a conversation I recently had with someone thinking of retiring soon.

To clarify I think it’s something that would benefit everyone not just the retired

No moral obligation at all. You worked, paid taxes, raised children who will also work and pay taxes and contribute to society. Moral duties done. Unless you choose to do voluntary work.

What's Labour got to do with it? I volunteered for years by the way, and I'm still working while officially being retired.

I don't think there's an obligation. Unwillingly given time and effort is churlish.
But volunteering can be hugely rewarding and fun, sometimes challenging and a good way to get out and meet people.
If you have specific skills your time will be valuable.

Generally I'd say there's no obligation provided you don't have any children or grandchildren to care for. If you do, you probably do owe society something, so yes 20 or so hours volunteering would be a good way to pay back your debt.

What "debt" is this and who do they owe it to?

Could you explain what I need to pay back?

I've worked since I was 16, never claimed any help or benefit, paid all taxes due.

I still don't claim any help and probably won't ever. (I hope)

Both my children are doing the same.

Of course there's no moral obligation to volunteer. Are we really saying that, by dint of being child-free or by dint of your children being child-free, you are therefore obliged to carry out penance for society's good?

Sounds like a load of sexist twaddle to me. Playing into the stereotype of the middle-aged churchy woman doing the flowers, minding the kids and taking the collection for the African hungry. Yuck.

I've nothing against volunteering, I volunteer myself, but I don't do it because I owe society a debt. I do it because I want to.

You might find you want to volunteer in some capacity but that's a different thing entirely to trudging down to your local BHF charity shop with the air of a martyr to tell Jan who does the rotas that you're there to fulfil your moral obligation to society.

Get lost.

No obligation op.

I know lots of retirees who do voluntary work, and they do it to satisfy themselves. Can't think of a single one who says they do it "give something back".
I volunteer at a museum that cost shitloads to look round, so I can hardly be described as fulfilling a moral duty. I do it for me.

I am annoyed both by @Dotjones nonsensical first paragraph, and by their opinion that people who retire early should be forced to "volunteer".

Give us a break, OP! I worked 80-120 hour weeks for eight years as a junior doctor, then worked full time as a specialist hospital doctor while raising my two DDs alone from babyhood, doing all the housework, diy, and gardening and grieving my dead husband. There was no internet in those days either - every piece of food and item of clothing required a 20 mile round trip to the nearest shops.
It’s only now, in retirement, that I have any time for myself at all - and even that has been wrecked by long Covid fatigue and breathlessness for the last two years.
So no, I don’t plan to volunteer for anything. I have more than done my bit!

It depends on your ability. Generally I'd say there's no obligation provided you don't have any children or grandchildren to care for. If you do, you probably do owe society something, so yes 20 or so hours volunteering would be a good way to pay back your debt

Not all pensioners are physically or mentally capable of course, but people who retired "young" (eg in 50s or 60s) should pay society back. The problem is pensioners on final salary schemes retiring in their 50s then just enjoying life at our expense, they're the ones who ought to be made to do unpaid work.

Pay back what?
I haven’t been entitled to child benefit in years, have paid a fortune into a pension, pay almost 10k a year for private health cover instead of using NHS resources, care for my elderly mum who has advanced Alzheimer’s, make regular charitable donations, have paid an absolute fortune in taxes.

None at all.

I think the motivation for a lot (not all) of retired people who volunteer is less around a sense of moral imperative but more around keeping active, having structure to their time, feeling useful, having a social life etc. There's a lot of benefits to the volunteer can be got out of volunteering.

I think it's a personal choice which has benefits to many of the volunteers as well as to the people helped by the work the volunteers do.

There are plenty of older people who volunteer for the company of others, to be engaged in their community & to help.
There are also those who might look okay to you, but don't have good enough health to keep working in any capacity.

Nobody has a moral obligation to work for free, even if they retired at 40.

Also, no retired person has a moral obligation to be free childcare for their own adult children, so it's offensive to suggest that those grandchildren are their responsibility & some sort of 'excuse' for why they shouldn't be working for free for everyone else just because they didn't die yet.

Retired people who are out having lunch, visiting places, buying things with their money etc.. are SPENDING money which means that younger people have a job supplying the goods & services retired people are buying.

If they were all out volunteering, they wouldn't have time to spend their money & those paying jobs would disappear.
They aren't usually done by retired people.

I hate this belief that if you have a shit life, it's only fair everyone else does too.

That sounds like my kind of volunteering.

I did begin volunteering work as I wanted to help, I didn’t really think about what I’d gain from it initially at all. But I definitely have gained from it even though I often cry about the things I see. I think that makes me keep doing it is that I’m helping though, maybe it depends on the type of volunteer work you do. I volunteer with animals.

Er, not sure why you're having a go at me, I didn't say you or anyone did have an obligation.

But, well done, I guess?

I think the thing that makes me keep doing it is that I’m helping though

😂 20 hours

And where are millions of people supposed
to volunteer for all these hours?

Society is a better when people contribute by volunteering. And it often proves just as much of a blessing for the person volunteering.

Most of us want to see some changes in society. Spare time is a good way to try to make that happen.

I am retired one year. I did lots of volunteering while working as a teacher over 40 years. I found when l was busy it was easier to volunteer as l just kept going. I loved doing them all: teaching adults who couldn't read/ youth work..lots. But since l retired l am slow to volunteer as eg.: one group wanted me to guarantee l would be there every week until Christmas. That would be easy if l was working but now l might want to go on a last minute holiday or visit a friend so l held off. I will come back to things but relishing my freedom at the moment. I am on one or two committees and keep those going as not totally tied.
Do whatever suits yourself..l think.

I don't see any moral obligation here and a lot of volunteering is badly organised crap anyway.

People should because they a. Want to and b. Have something to give.

I'm also very cynical about people suggesting it as a solution to loneliness as a lot of volunteering is lone working.

Remember at one workplace a manager wanting to make volunteering compulsory. Compelled volunteering perhaps needs a new name.

I retired 2 years ago and started volunteering straight away in a COVID Vaccination Centre . . I was doing something totally different to what I had done during my working life, meeting people that I wouldn't have met otherwise, it was fun and it helped the transition from working full time to not working at all. I then had a break so that I could visit my family but I am just about to start volunteering at my church. It's flexible, so I'm not tied down, and is helping the local community. I'm fit and healthy and have time to offer so am glad to do it. As a pensioner, I'm not able to donate as much money to charities as I would like, particularly in the current circumstances. So I see it as my way of helping the local community but in all honesty I thoroughly enjoy it!!!